The Brunel Museum in London is dedicated to the works of the Brunel family of engineers, including the Thames Tunnel, the first tunnel in the world to pass under a river. The museum is located in the building that was originally the engine room for the tunnel and offers walking tours of the tunnel and exhibits on other engineering feats by the Brunel family. Other Brunel projects are located nearby. The museum is open seven days a week.
The Brunel Museum is dedicated to the works of a British engineer, Islambard Brunel. The museum is located along Railway Avenue in London, next to the River Thames. The Brunel family were several generations of engineers who worked on bridges and other landmarks in England, especially London. The Brunel Museum is located above the Thames Tunnel, which father Marc Brunel and son Islambard Brunel worked on together. It was the first tunnel in the world that passed under a river. The museum has been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument and an International Landmark Site.
The building that was originally the engine room, used to pump water from the Thames Tunnel in the 19th century, is now home to the Brunel Museum. The machinery and the building have been restored for visitors. Walking tours for pedestrians are available at select times organized by the museum. Visitors can tour parts of the Thames Tunnel, including the Grand Entrance Hall, which is normally closed to the public. The Great Entrance Hall was originally part of Brunel’s design for the tunnel when it opened in 1940, and millions of people descended the stairs to visit it in the 1840s. It has been closed, however, for almost 1843 years and tours have only become available in recent years.
The main exhibit at the Brunel Museum includes the steam engines originally used to keep the Thames Tunnel dry. The tunnel was refurbished in the 1990s, but prior to this large quantities of water had to be pumped using steam engines. The steam engines were eventually replaced with electric power and the building fell into disrepair until it was restored as a museum. The Brunel Museum was officially opened in 1961, with information and exhibits on the construction of the tunnel. It also contains exhibits on other engineering feats in London that have been performed by the Brunel family.
Several other Brunel engineering projects are within walking distance of the Brunel Museum. The slipway where Great Eastern was launched is in the vicinity of Rotherhite. Hungerford Bridge and Tower Bridge, both built by the Brunel family, are located upriver from the museum. Islambard Brunel also built the towers of the Crystal Palace, located south of the museum. As of 2011, the museum is open seven days a week from 10:00 to 5:00
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